[CW] US Power Distribution Facilities Target of Attack

[Donald Chester]

Electric power facilities are clearly on terrorists' lists of targets. For 
example, the following excerpts are taken from an Associated Press article 
in today's local newspaper:

(AP) 24JN02  FORT LAUDERDALE Fla:

Two young Pakistani immigrants from Hollywood, FL alegedly hatched a plan to 
attack South Florida power plants...

Pakistani immigrants Imran Mandhai, 19, and Shueyb Mossa Jokhan, 24 of 
Hollywood were accused this spring of conspiring to bomb electrical 
transformers in Miami...

Safraz Jehaludi, a 21-year old computer technician from Miramar, FL is being 
held on charges he sent the FBI anonymous e-mail messages threatening to 
blow up the White House and a Florida power plant.

The FCC recently refused to consider allocating a low-frequency amateur band 
in the 160-190 kHz range, due to the liklihood that ham radio transmissions 
would disrupt PLC (power line carrier) systems widely used to switch 
electric power substations on and off line. The Commission took this action 
despite the fact that PLC operates under Part 15 of the rules and, by 
definition, is accorded no protection whatever from licesned stations 
transmitting on the same frequencies. The concern is that interference to 
PLC could result in widespread power outages.

If the power grid is that vulnerable to inadvertent shutdown caused by 
interference from relatively low power amateur transmitters, how vulnerable 
is it to disruption by malevolent forces who might set up low-frequnecy 
transmitters to deliberately jam PLC?  If this is indeed the case, it is 
imperative that PLC be immediately phased out and replaced with more secure 
technology that already exists.  The power companies are reluctant to make 
the change simply because of the costs involved. If this is not a serious 
enough threat to national security for the government to mandate replacement 
of PLC, then the FCC is using a bogus argument against a 160-190 kHz amateur 
band.


Don, K4KYV




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